Mirror
14th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The first mirrors to be used in Japan were imported from Korea and China and it was not until the 4th century AD that the Japanese began to make their own, cast from bronze. The mirror faces were polished and, from the 11th century, made more reflective by applying a thin layer of tin. They were lifted and held by a cord which was passed through a hole in the raised boss, which often took the form of a tortoise, on the center back.
At first, Japanese mirrors were close copies of Chinese and Korean originals, but by the 11th century mirrors with distinctively Japanese designs were being made. This mirror is decorated with autumn plants, a common motif in Japanese art, a fence and two small birds.
At first, Japanese mirrors were close copies of Chinese and Korean originals, but by the 11th century mirrors with distinctively Japanese designs were being made. This mirror is decorated with autumn plants, a common motif in Japanese art, a fence and two small birds.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Cast bronze |
| Brief description | Met, Japan, mirrors |
| Physical description | Circular mirror of cast bronze with decoration of Autumn plants by a fence and two small birds. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Object history | Purchased from a source not recorded in the Asia Department registers, accessioned in 1901. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The first mirrors to be used in Japan were imported from Korea and China and it was not until the 4th century AD that the Japanese began to make their own, cast from bronze. The mirror faces were polished and, from the 11th century, made more reflective by applying a thin layer of tin. They were lifted and held by a cord which was passed through a hole in the raised boss, which often took the form of a tortoise, on the center back. At first, Japanese mirrors were close copies of Chinese and Korean originals, but by the 11th century mirrors with distinctively Japanese designs were being made. This mirror is decorated with autumn plants, a common motif in Japanese art, a fence and two small birds. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 717-1901 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
